Why the Oscars Are the 'Super Bowl for Women'

By

Suzanne Vranica

Updated Feb. 27, 2014 11:28 p.m. ET

If the Super Bowl is the king of live events, with no fast-forwarding through the ads and a rare big-tent audience, the Academy Awards ceremony is the queen. People tune in not just to guess the winners, snipe at the red-carpet fashions and pray for train-wreck celebrity moments at the podium. They also look forward to the commercials.

"These are the programs that magically defy TV erosion," said Sean Blankenship,...